Tag:
Ioannina

Syrrako is located at an altitude of 1,200 meters at the foothills of Peristeri Mountain in eastern Epirus. In the beginnings of the 15th century it was inhabited by Vlach-speaking Greeks and developed a strong livestock and wool products trade. During the 17th century, its fame as an important productive and commercial centre of clothing products, had surpassed the Balkan borders and had travelled all over Europe.

An enchanting city spread along the banks of Pamvotida Lake. It is full of castles, monuments, traditional houses, and studios of silversmiths, goldsmiths and skilled woodcarvers. It has a strong artistic and spiritual character and houses an important university. It also has a booming nightlife, because of the thousands of university students. In the middle of Pamvotida lake, there is a small islet with few inhabitants that looks like something out of a painting. The city is full of trees and flowers. And the view from the nearby Mitsikeli Mountain is just breathtaking.

"I'm not a gold-silversmith, just a silversmith. Since my youth I didn't like school, maybe it was because of the way teachers treated and punished us. In 1971 I went to Athens and apprenticed for two and a half years near a craftsman from Ioannina. I remember him advising me: Put 70% of artistry and 30% of manufacture. He was right, if I put 100% artistry I wouldn't find a buyer, but if I cared more about the manufacturing process I wouldn't keep the art alive".

"I don't even have the time to go to Ioannina for a coffee. I'm occupied with the animals 24/7; if I abandon them they will abandon me as well. I'm not a civil servant, so I have no vacation time. The prime minister has more free time than I do". 45 year-old Tolis Psochios is the last shepherd left in the historical Syrrako, which is located on the slope of Peristeri mountain in eastern Epirus, at ab altitude of 1,200 meters.

"Back then there were no boots and raincoats; we used to wear an old woollen garment and go fishing. How the hell did we manage not to get rheumatism from the damp, I'll never know. You can't imagine how cold it was, we were using the oars to break the ice in the lake in order to pull the fish nets out. Nowadays there are icebreaking machines for this purpose".